Vault lock



F. P. KROLL July 21, 1959 VAULT LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Se t. 13, 19s? 4. INVENTOR.

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United States Patent VAULT LOCK Ferdinand P. Kroll, Pemberton, Minn.

Application September 13, 1957, Serial No. 683,898

2 Claims (Cl. 292-302) The present invention-relates to a vault generally and in particular to a lock for a vault door.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lock for a vault door which lends itself to automatic and positive locking of the vault door when the vault door is moved to the closed position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock for a vault door which is simple in structure, one which is sturdy in construction and economically feasible, and one which is highly efiective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken inconnection with the annexed draw ings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the vault according to the present invention, showing the vault with its door in open position, the dotted line showings indicating the vault lock mechanisms;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of two of the lock mechanisms shown in the assembly of Figure 1, portions of the back and front walls and door of the assembly being broken away;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a sectional view with a portion broken away taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; v

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4, showing the latch element in released position; and

Figure 7 is an isometric fragmentary view showing the hollow member and supporting rod disassembled. Q

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a vault is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and has a front wall or front 12 provided with an access opening 14 with a door 16 conformably shaped to bridge and close the access opening 14 positioned, as shown in Figure l, exteriorly of and spaced from the access opening 14.

As shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the vault 10 is provided with four horizontally disposed hollow tubes or members 18, one adjacent and spaced from each corner of the opening 14. In Figure 2, the two hollow members 18 on the right hand side of the opening 14 are shown. Each hollow member 18 is identical with each of the others and will be described with reference to the upper hollow member 18 shown in Figure 2.

The hollow member 18 has a flange 20 on one end thereof seated in an appropriately shaped recess provided in the portion of the front wall 12 adjacent the opening 14, the other end of the member 18 being remote from the front or front wall 12 of the vault 10.

In Figure 7 the hollow member 18 is shown provided with a notch 22 on the underface and adjacent a second flange 24 carried by the other end of the member 18. A supporting rod or element 26 is telescopically arranged with respect to each of the hollow members 18 and has one end fixedly secured and carried by the door 16 for retractile and projectile movement into and out of the adjacent hollow member 18. Each of the supporting elements 26 is provided with a recess 28 on its underface adjacent the end of the element remote from the door 16, the recess 28 and the notch 22 being in registry with each other when the door 16 is in the closed position with the supporting element 26 wholly retracted within the hollow member 18. The supporting elements 26 each carry a flange 30 on the end adjacent the recess 28 for securement within a properly shaped undercut portion in the inner wall of the door 16 as at 32 in Figure 4.

The door 16 is wholly supported upon the four supporting elements '26 for movement between opening and closing positions with respect to the access opening 14.

The releasable lock means according to the present invention is positioned within the vault 10 adjacent each of the hollow members 18 at a point inwardly of and spaced from the end of such hollow member 18, and the latter is securely fixed to the back wall 34 of the vault 10. Each lock means comprises a horizontally disposed latch element 36 extending between a pair of standards 38 and 40 and having its mid-portion 42 below and in vertical spaced aligned relation with respect to the associated one of the notches 22 in the adjacent hollow member 18.-

The standards 38 and 40 are positioned adjacent to and on each side of the associated one of the hollow members 18 and has its upper end spaced above such hollow member 18. The standards 38 and 40 are provided with slots as at 44, as shown most clearly in Figures 4 and 6, receiving the portions of the latch element 36 adjacent each end and connecting each end portion of the latch element 36 to the standards 38 and 40 for vertical up and down movement with respect to the notch 22 in the hollow member 18.

Spring means is provided operatively connected to each i of the end portions of the latch element 36 for urging the latch element toward the notch 22 in the associated hollow member 18. This spring means consists in a coil spring under tension (Fig. 3) having one end fixedly secured to an upper cross piece 46 extending over and con necting the upper ends of the standards 38 and 40 together, the coil springs being designated by the reference numeral 48. The other end of each coil spring 48 is secured to the threaded portion of a bolt 59 threadedly engaged in a threaded bore provided in each end portion of the latch element 36, the head of each bolt 50 underlying an end portion of a bight 52 of an inverted U-shaped bracket 54 which has its legs provided with elongated openings receiving therethrough an end portion of a cross shaft 56.

A locking element or roller 58 is carried upon the midportion of each of the latch elements 36 and is movable under the action of the springs 48 into locking engagement seated within the recess 28 in the supporting element 26 when the recess 28 is in registry with the notch 22 in the associated hollow member 18. In Figure 4 it will be seen that the recess 28 is in registry with the notch 22 when the supporting element 26 is in the position wholly retracted within the hollow member 18 with the door 16 in its closed position with respect to the access opening 14. In Figure 6 the supporting element '26 is shown moved from the position in registry with the notch 22 to a position in which the roller 58 no longer is engaged in the recess 28 but rides on the under surface of the supporting element 26, allowing the supporting element 26 to be withdrawn from the hollow member 18 and permitting the opening of the door 16, the latter not being shown in this view.

Hand actuable means is provided operatively connected to the roller 58 for restoring the roller to a position away from the notch 22 in each of the hollow members 18 against the tension of all of the springs 48. Specifically, this hand actuable means consists in a cable 60 having one end secured to the mid-portion of the cross shaft 56' which is positioned in parallel spaced relation below the shaft 56 and connected thereto by means of a pair of uprights 62 extending between and having their ends connected to the cross shafts 56, 56'. The portion of the cable 60 adjacent the other end is wound upon a drum 64 having a lock barrel 66 projecting from one end thereof and formed integrally therewith. The lock barrel 66 has its free end opening outwardly of and contiguous to the front wall 12, as shown in Figure 1. A key 68 is used to unlock the barrel 66 from its normally locked position within the portion of the vault adjacent the front wall 12 and, when unlocked, the key 68 is used to rotate the barrel 66 and attached drum 64 to wind up aportion of the cable 60 to the extent necessary to pull downwardly on the shafts 56 and 56 to thereby withdraw each of the latch elements 36 to a downward position in which the associated one of the rollers 58 is out of engagement with the recess 28 in the adjacent supporting element 26. This releases the door 16 and allows it to be pulled open to the position spaced away from the opening 14. Preferably, as shown in Figure 5, the vault 10 has an inner wall 70 separating the latch mechanisms from the access opening and isolating such mechanisms from the contents of the vault 10. I

When it is desired to lock the vault 10, it is only necessary to rotate the drum 64 in the opposite direction and permit the spring '48 to draw the shafts 56, 56' up wardly to a position in which the rollers 58 are free to enter the recesses 28 when the supporting elements 26 are once more in the fully retracted position with the door 16 closed.

While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, other embodiments are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p

1. The combination with a vault having a front provided with an access opening, a horizontally disposed hollow member positioned within said vault and having one end in the portion of said front adjacent said opening and having the other end remote from the front of said vault, said member having a notch on the underface adjacent said other end, a door conformably shaped to bridge and close said access opening positioned exteriorly of and adjacent said opening, and a supporting element having one end carried by said door and retractable into and projectable out of said hollow member for mounting said door for opening and closing movement with respect to said opening, said element having a recess on the underface adjacent the other end thereof, of a releasable lock means positioned within said vault adjacent said hollow member other end, said means comprising a horizontally disposed latch element positioned below and in vertical spaced aligned relation with respect to said hollow member notch and connected to said vault for vertical up and down movement with respect to said notch, spring means operatively connected to said latch element for urging the latter toward said hollow member notch, a locking element cam'ed by said latch element, said locking element being movable under the action of said spring means into locking engagement with the recess in said supporting element when the latter has been moved to the retracted position, and hand actuable means operatively connected to said latch element for restoring the latter to a position away from said hollow member notch against the tension of said spring means.

2. The combination with a vault having a front provided with an access opening, a horizontally disposed hollow member positioned within said vault and having one end in the portion of said front adjacent said opening and having the other end remote from the front of said vault, said member having a notch on the underface adjacent said other end, a door conformably shaped to bridge and close said access opening positioned exteriorly of and adjacent said opening, and a supporting element having one end carried by said door and retractable into and projectable out of said hollow member for mounting said door for opening and closing movement with respect to said opening, said element having a recess on the underface adjacent the other end thereof, of a releasable lock means positioned within said vault adjacent said hollow member other end, said means comprising a standard positioned adjacent to and on each side of said hollow member notch and having the upper end thereof spaced above said hollow member, a horizontally disposed latch element extending between said standards and having its mid-portion below and in vertical spaced aligned relation with respect to said hollow member notch, the portion of said latch element adjacent each end being connected to the adjacent standard for vertical up and down movement with respect to said notch, spring means operatively connected to each of the end portions of said latch element for urging the latter element toward said hollow member notch, a roller carried by said midportion of said latch element, said roller being movable under the action of said spring means into locking engagement with the recess in said supporting element when the latter has been moved to the retracted position, and hand actuable me'ans operatively connected to said roller for restoring the latter to a position away from said hollow member notch against the tension of said spring means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

